


FOR THE LONGEST TIME

by DeanandCas



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Fluff, High School Reunion AU, Inspired by Music, Light Angst, M/M, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 02:04:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13401147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeanandCas/pseuds/DeanandCas
Summary: When he'd been invited to the Eric Kripke High's Twenty Year Reunion, his first reaction had been to rip the card out and drop it in the trash can, along with the useless stuff he'd received in the mail.But his fingers seemed to rebel momentarily and he found himself placing the invitation on the shelf near his favorite workplace. Each time he sat down to write, there was the blue envelope with the logo of the school he had attended as a teenager.More than once he found himself reverently touching that piece of paper, instead of throwing it away.Castiel didn’t want to think about the reason for his attachment, but he couldn’t help it.





	FOR THE LONGEST TIME

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [For the longest time *](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13396944) by [DeanandCas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeanandCas/pseuds/DeanandCas). 



> This fic was inspired by a Billy Joel song.  
> "[For the Longest Time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_XgQhMPeEQ)"

 

Castiel looked at his reflection in the mirror for the millionth time. He rearranged a stubborn strand of hair that insisted on falling on his forehead, even though he had already tried several times to tame it.

He had never been vain or overly concerned with appearances. He tried to dress simply and comfortably, but this wasn’t an ordinary night. He picked a particle of dust from his jacket sleeve and made sure the blue tie was properly tied over the flawless white shirt.

When he'd been invited to the Eric Kripke High's Twenty Year Reunion, his first reaction had been to rip the card out and drop it in the trash can, along with all the other useless stuff he'd received in the mail.

But his fingers seemed to rebel momentarily and he found himself placing the invitation on the shelf near his favorite workplace. Each time he sat down to write, there was the blue envelope with the logo of the school he had attended as a teenager.

More than once he found himself reverently touching that piece of paper, instead of throwing it away.

Castiel didn’t want to think about the reason for his attachment, but he couldn’t help it.

The nostalgia of that time was compartmentalized for him, the good and bad moments definitely stored in boxes inside his mind.

Memories of his favorite classes - Mrs. Mills' classes, his English and Literature teacher - were lovingly stocked, along with the memories of his closest friends - Garth and Meg – and a few special moments he had lived in Lawrence, Kansas .

On the other hand, his insecurity and shyness, the bullying he had suffered for being a quiet and bright young man, those were stuck in a dark box, pushed into the far corner of his mind. Castiel tried not to remember those sad incidents, but they seemed to be too resilient for those feelings of inferiority and inadequacy became known at times, even though he wasn’t that boy anymore.

Now, back to the town where he had lived for a few years in his youth, those dark thoughts returned, though his brother had bravely tried to remind him that he was an acclaimed author now, living in a comfortable home in their hometown, Boston.

Castiel sighed, looking around. He was in the same room he had occupied as a boy, but Gabriel had turned it into an office. The old bed was gone, as well as the things he had left behind when left for college.

For a moment he was assaulted by an untimely memory. One of those, constant and strong memories that refused to be enclosed in a single box. It fit among the happy occasions, but it also felt at home with the bullies which had caused Castiel pain. If in some moments it shone with odd intensity, in others... it reminded Castiel of how insignificant he had been. Or so he had felt then.

He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. If he would meet all those people again in less than an hour, he had to compose himself.

***

"Let me look at you..." Gabriel said, trying to arrange the same stubborn hair strand that had Castiel so upset. "Okay. Perfect!"

"I don’t know why you insisted on driving me, I could have-"

"And how would you expect me to miss the moment of your triumphant return? Besides, you can drink as much as you like. A call and I'll come and get you." He winked and finished in a light tone: "But only if you don’t get another ride home, of course. I sincerely doubt you won’t. Those jerks are ready to throw themselves at your feet, bro! "

Castiel sighed and looked reproachfully at his brother. He wanted nothing more than to catch up with the old friends with whom he had lost contact and to see his old school again.

"Go get them, tiger!" Gabriel said, opening the door for him and pushing him not subtly out. A growl followed by an impertinent smile completed the action and the car slowly moved away. Surely his brother would be looking at him in the rearview mirror until he entered the gym _. What had Castiel done to deserve that?_

***

Castiel had been greeted by a blond woman he remembered vaguely .

"Becky! Becky Rosen!" She introduced herself. She was the person in charge of filling out the identification badges. "You can’t imagine how honored we are to have you here, Castiel... Or shall I call you _Mr. James Milton_?"

"Castiel Novak is fine, Mrs. Rosen, thank you."

" _Miss_ Rosen. But for you, Castiel, it’s just Becky. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to look for me." The sparkling eyes conveyed a hardly repressed energy. She looked at the door for a second before adding in a confidential tone, "I'm your biggest fan, Castiel! I've read all your books! They're in a box under the table, would you sign them for me later? "

Castiel bared his teeth – you couldn’t really call that a smile. If things were going to be like that all night long, he wished he would leave immediately. But swallowing the anxiety, he said politely,

"It will be a pleasure, Becky."

The smile he got back had power to light a small town. Castiel didn’t feel so bad after that, although he wished he could go unnoticed for a bit.

How many times had he felt like this, right there in that place? Phys Ed classes had been a torment. He had hated sports with the same passion that the bullies had hated him for being a perfect grade student.

That rebellious memory, the unclassifiable one, haunted him again when it whispered in his ear: _'Well, if only he had noticed you...'_

He looked around, slightly in panic. There was no telling what would have happened if the person in question had noticed him back then. The attention would have made him an even more consistent target for the bullies, perhaps. Or...

_No._

His mind should stop thinking about the long-cherished possibility. It had no way for it to be true. Not when they were seventeen and probably much less now.

A hand on his shoulder made him turn. A warm smile greeted him, as it had for all the years they had been friends.

"Garth, old friend!" Castiel said, pulling the man into a hug.

If anyone had been bullied more than Castiel it had been Garth, fragile as he had been. He was still extremely thin - far more than one might consider 'normal' - but his rosy face expressed an incomparable placidity.

Perhaps the fact that he had a beautiful woman next to him was the factor that made the difference. Bess and Garth had been married for a few years and had two young children. He was a dentist and many of their old schoolmates were his patients:

"Not that it's my goal, but if I can make Roy nervous about my presence, why not?" He said playfully. "And in the end, everyone pays me and thanks me. What else could I want? "

Castiel laughed, glad to hear about his friend's quiet and comforting existence. They had lost contact, but they would keep in touch from that point on. The conversation was easy and he found himself invited to visit their house the next day.

When Bess left them for a moment, Garth took the cue and asked quietly,

"Do you think he is coming?"

An alarmed look took over the writer's face. He still felt tense to be reminded that he had that crush. Especially when the person talking about it was one of the two people who knew how Castiel had felt at that time.

But since the other friend who knew about it wasn’t coming to the reunion, _he_ also might have decided not to attend. Meg, his only constant friend since that time - and his current publisher - had refused to _"get into that false sense of nostalgia for middle-aged losers."_

"I didn’t keep in touch with anyone but Meg," he replied, even if he knew he was deflecting the question.

"Haven’t you heard what happened?"

Castiel haven’t. He had gone to college and had never come back until now. At the moment he was divided between eagerly asking what happened and dropping the subject. Curiosity was stronger.

"Lisa got pregnant. They were dating back then, do you remember? "

 _How could I forget?_ Castiel thought uneasily.

"His father was furious, but still forced him to do the right thing. They got married."

Castiel didn’t want to hear anything else, but Garth continued, oblivious to the discomfort he caused:

"But they were not happy, everyone could see that. When they divorced, there was a rumor that Ben was not really his son. That broke him. That's when he moved to South Dakota."

He didn’t live in Lawrence anymore. Maybe he wasn’t even coming to the reunion. Why did Castiel feel equally relieved and a little sad?

***

Their conversation was interrupted by other classmates who came to greet them. More than one mentioned the fact of appreciating the books written by Castiel, reminding him that at that moment he enjoyed a privileged position among his peers.

On the other hand, some people passed him by, giving him resentful looks, like the one he had received from Gordon Walker.

The former quarterback - who was expected to have a bright future as a professional athlete - had had his career ended early and had returned to Lawrence, filled with hatred and regrets. At the moment, he only talked about his glory days, while getting drunk on a regular basis. Garth whispered this part of Gordon’s story. He was still afraid of him, Castiel realized.

Amid the reminiscences, Castiel heard his name being called on the speakers. People started cheering and he realized he had been summoned to the stage by the old schoolmaster, the disgusting Mr. Adler.

Another round of applause and he was joined on the raised platform over the court by an elegant woman all dressed in black. Castiel remembered Ruby as a pretty girl, but she was gorgeous now. She was an internationally renowned model and Castiel could finally breathe a little more relieved. If anyone was more famous than he at the reunion it was Ruby Deville.

Mr. Adler spoke - not as briefly as one might expect - about their deeds and crowned them King and Queen of the ball. Castiel felt too conscious. He'd always been averse to that kind of social interaction and no matter how much he'd grown accustomed to the attention he'd received, he would now be forced to dance with Ruby in front of all those people.

The woman pulled him to the middle of the room and put her hands around his neck with a fascinating smile and seductive gaze. _"So much sensuality wasted on me ..."_ he thought as he began to move to the chords of the romantic song that had been a hit twenty years before.

Castiel acknowledged Ruby was perfect. She was kind to everyone and her laugh was captivating. She hadn’t even blinked when he'd stumbled through his clumsy attempt to guide her to the beat of the song.

After the dance was over, people applauded one more time and, to Castiel's relief, he was once again interesting only to literature lovers. Or to the person who was obsessed by the romantic fate of his characters.

"Would you sign my books now, Castiel?" Becky said, putting her arm around his and pulling him to the desk at front, chattering incessantly about how she believed Sean and Daniel should be together at the end of the series of books he was writing. It was obvious that they had a profound bond. Castiel laughed. He had never thought about that.

_***_

Castiel had gone to his High School reunion full of doubts but the party had been more than pleasant.

He had talked to a lot of people and discovered that good memories could outweigh bad ones when the first ones joined those of the present night.

Only a note of sadness still echoed in his chest. The young man for whom Castiel had borne his first crush, hadn't attended the reunion.

_***_

Dean, with his athletic physique and perfect face had captivated Castiel from day one. He was fun and popular.

He was an athlete, but not a bully; a good student, but he wasn’t among the best. He had been wanted by all the girls... but not only by them.

At least on his part, the interest apparently had gone unnoticed to Dean, who focused his attentions on the young women who followed him wherever he went.

Castiel had thus discovered his attraction to boys, although some years had been necessary for him to do something about it.

As he walked away from school, he was wondering where Dean might be at the present time. He thought of him living in an other state. He found himself wondering if he was still attractive as he had been as a teenager. If he had remarried... if his lean abdomen was replaced by a tummy that denoted the comforts of family life. This thought made him smile.

Lost in reverie, he had walked a couple of blocks and thought he wouldn’t call Gabriel to pick him up. He hadn’t drunk that much and the night was pleasant. Besides, walking could satisfy the need in his chest to think freely of Dean.

He hadn’t forgotten him, he would never be able to do it. But neither did Castiel get lost in recollections as often as before. His mental discipline wouldn’t allow it. Only sometimes did his classmate's memory evade the compartments to which he didn’t quite fit in to come to wander in his dreams - especially those Castiel had in his waking state.

But on that night when he had had an honor bestowed on him, he wished Dean was there to see it. The roles would have been reversed, Castiel being the center of attention and Dean would witness his moment of glory.

He looked down at the sidewalk, ashamed of his proud attitude. Dean had never made anyone feel less than him.

Suddenly a jerk on his back made him rush toward the pavement. The sound of glass breaking, too close, finally roused him, bringing him back to reality.

Rolling sideways, his eyes fell on the sad figure of a drunken man. He recognized him in the dim light of the street as the frustrated classmate who had looked at him in an angry way. Gordon.

"What are you thinking, Novak?" He shouted, his voice unstable. "Famous writer... Bullshit!"

Castiel got up slowly, wondering how he would get out of there fast. The hand that rested on the pavement bumped into broken glass. The bottle had narrowly missed him.

"You're nothing, Novak! Nothing, do you hear me?" Gordon took a surprisingly steady step toward him. Castiel stepped back slowly.

"You're just an asshole! You think you are better than everyone else... Just because you’re rich and famous you think you can humiliate everybody! But not me!"

Castiel had heard many things when bullies pushed him in the corridors or tore the books from his hands. But that insult was new, they had never before accused him of wanting to humiliate others.

With his hands stretched in front of him, in a conciliatory gesture, Castiel tried to talk gently:

"I would never try to humiliate you, Gordon ..." The best course of action would be not to contradict him. "I coudn’t-"

"You know you can’t! You shouldn’t even try, man! You're a loser, a fake... I’ll teach you how to behave! Come here!"

Castiel was no longer that weak and quiet boy, but he chose not to reply and took another step back. If he ran, there would be no way Gordon would approach, as he was. But he had to back off a little further before turning his back on the bully.

He looked back at the busy street a few yards away. If he could get there, everything would be okay. He took a few steps back, a little faster this time.

That seemed to bring Gordon to a new level of fury. With a loud groan he lunged forward and tried to hold Castiel by his jacket. With the sudden movement, however, he became unbalanced, and they both fell, their limbs tangled.

As the writer tried to pull his legs out from under the other man's body, clearly dizzy now that he was sprawled on the ground, a car stopped on the corner. Before Castiel could turn to see who the driver was, his hearing had already given him the answer.

That sound... No other car had a sound like that. Castiel recognized it easily.

"What are you thinking, Gordon? Still bullying people?" The driver had already grabbed the drunk by his clothes and shook him as Gordon tried to pull away, unsuccessfully.

"Go home! Leave the nice people alone! " He finally said, pushing the man in the direction he had come from. For some unknown reason, Gordon didn’t respond nor attempt to assault who had given him the order. He simply nodded, turned his back on them, and began to walk unstably.

"Are you all right, Castiel?"

Castiel must have died in the fall. And gone to Heaven, where the angels looked like Dean Winchester.

***

Looking at the outstretched hand in front of him, Castiel cleared his throat before answering,

"I'm fine... Dean. Thank you.” And ignoring the support offered by the other man, he stood and began to wipe the dust from the suit that had been impeccable before that unpleasant incident.

"I missed the reunion, didn’t I?" Asked the tall, light-haired, friendly-looking man who was looking in the direction of the now dark school. "I'm too late," he finished with a sigh.

Castiel was astonished. Dean had come to the party, but he had missed it. Looking at his clothes, Castiel knew he hadn’t even had time to change.

When Castiel noticed, the other man was measuring him up. And he smiled as he said,

"It’s been a long while, huh? You look different."

What could Castiel answer to this? _And how could Dean say he was different if he'd probably never noticed his quiet and uninteresting classmate before that moment?_

"Well, yeah... a little." Regaining his composure, though not his calm, he continued: "Too bad you missed the reunion. It was a memorable party... "

Dean shook his head in disbelief before Castiel completed the phrase:

"But I think you're better off having not met Director Adler... Ugh!" Castiel said with an expression of disgust.

A smile appeared in the freckled face and a chuckle came from his lips.

"I didn’t lose that much then," he said, remembering how unbearable their former director was. He was known for his lack of hygiene... His body odor was nauseating!

"And what are you doing, if it is not presumptuous of me to ask, at this hour, being harassed by Gordon Walker on the street? Did you flirt with his wife or something? "

_Did Dean think he could flirt? This was new. But he had other concerns:_

"No, Dean. Before you came gallantly to save me from Gordon’s clutches he was talking about how I shouldn’t think that I am better than other people because I am nothing. That's the word he used: nothing!" He snorted, feeling humiliated by Dean's thinking that so many years later he was still a helpless boy.

Dean raised his eyebrows at Castiel's aggressive reaction.

"Whoa, whoa... where did this come from, now? I just-"

"You just thought you were going to reaffirm your alpha male position by getting that douche off me. But, you know what? I was doing very well by myself! I was almost-"

"Yes, I saw where you were. Trapped under him! "Dean countered, sulking now at Castiel's irritability.

"I was going-" Finally looking at Dean, Castiel fell silent. Dean had only meant to help him. But the situation was too well known to him.

"Sorry, Dean. You don’t deserve my anger. You just wanted to help me, I know, "he said, embarrassed. "But all this brought up a lot of awful memories."

Dean just took a deep breath and stared at him.

"No, I’m the one who needs to apologize. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. "

An uncomfortable silence hung between them now. Castiel wondered if he should call his brother to fetch him when he was interrupted by a question asked in a quiet tone:

"Do you need a ride home?"

"Do you know where I live?" Surprised, Castiel quickly corrected himself: "Do you know where _I used to live_?"

"You're Gabriel's brother, aren’t you? I gave him a ride home many times, when he wasn’t able to get there by himself. "

_Gabe had never told him that! How could an important fact like this have gone unnoticed?_

"He still lives there," Castiel said, wishing, however, that Dean wouldn’t drive him to his former home. At least not yet. They were finally talking. Their conversation has been strange and disconnected but they were talking.

"Well, get in and I'll drive you if you want."

A shiver ran through his spine: _he had been invited to get in the famous Impala!_ Restricting his inner enthusiasm, however, he replied quietly,

"Thank you very much for the kindness, Dean."

Dean smiled and skidded around the car to take the wheel.

Castiel was living a surreal moment. The upholstery leather was old, but soft and well-kept. Many stories were told of ardent encounters in that cozy interior between Dean and a few dozen girls. Blushing as he remembered what he had imagined so many times when he was younger, he swallowed and looked out at the street where few cars were passing at that hour.

"My baby is beautiful, isn’t she?" He heard Dean's deep voice ask suddenly.

"Who are you talking about?" Castiel countered, confused.

"My baby," he repeated, running his hand affectionately over the panel.

Castiel had to laugh. Dean was still in love with that machine, as they said.

"Yes, she is beautiful. A beautiful lady. "

Dean's eyes turned toward him and they found a soft smile. Castiel was joking, relaxed. The moment of tension had passed.

"Well, this ‘beautiful lady’ is going to take you home... unless you want to go somewhere else and tell me everything that happened at the reunion..."

Castiel's heart gave a start. _Had he heard well?_

Dean should have interpreted his silence as negative, for he said quickly,

"Alright, I'll drive you-"

"No, no, Dean... I would really like to tell you everything. Do you know any place that is still open? "

Dean did.

Castiel took a deep breath and smiled.

***

Seated at a table at the back of the old Roadhouse, Dean and Castiel attacked their sandwiches with equal appetite. Dean told him that he hadn’t had time to eat in his rush to get to Lawrence so Castiel had said he would accompany him. _Since when did he say no a cheeseburger? Much less in such good company._

When he was no longer hungry, Dean sat back, his attitude more comfortable one would expect in his first conversation with a stranger. They had lived in different worlds in the past... And now there they were. Two adults having burgers and chatting.

"So..." Dean began "what happened at the reunion? I still can’t believe I arrived too late!"

"I don’t even know where to start... Well, I guess I already started, if I told you about Adler." He laughed. "You'd better ask me what you want to know."

"And I thought that talking to a writer I would just relax and listen... Let me see..."

That sentence shocked Castiel once more. _Dean knew he was the famous bestselling author James Milton!_

"Were the guys from the team - forget Gordon, please - there? Benny, Roy, Walter... "

"Yes, Benny and Roy. I talked quickly to Benny and his wife. Roy didn’t want to get close, I think it's because I was with Garth and-"

"Garth?"

"Yes, he's a dentist, and Roy's scared of him."

Dean laughed again, that rich, deep laughter that made Castiel's interior squirm.

"Roy's always been a coward..."

"But he was also a bully. Garth can tell you about it. Imagine how he feels now that the tables are turned... "

"You know... I never talked to Garth, I realize now." He looked up slowly and completed "And I never talked to you either."

Castiel stood still, trying to show nothing on his face. When he answered, he did it cautiously:

"We've never been part of the same group, Dean. You with football and the girls and I... with my books and... "he stopped, half embarrassed, not knowing why.

Dean was looking at him now and nothing could be read in his face as he continued:

"I've always thought that this hierarchy young people impose on each other at school is stupid... and yet... I fit in and never did anything to get to know people from other groups like Garth, or you and so many others... Today I realize that I lost a lot by conforming to what my friends said... "

"Yeah, I always felt annoyed by that too. Why can’t an athlete be friends with the... president of the Chess Club?" Thus he exposed his dissatisfaction that they had never had a chance to meet before that day.

"Well, we're adults now. That time is past. And here we are. Talking. "

"It's over, but not for everyone. Gordon still thinks he can bully others. "

"Gordon is an idiot. He's always been an idiot. "

Castiel couldn’t refute that statement. He leaned back as his fingers slid uneasily over the edge of the table. He was where he'd always wanted to be and actually he didn’t know what to say. There was so many things he wanted to know, but he couldn’t ask. For all intents and purposes, they were strangers up to that point. Classmates who had never been anything to each other. But it hadn’t been so, not for Castiel. Dean had been, at one point in Castiel's life, everything he admired and desired for himself.

Dean's deep voice called him back to the present when he asked,

"Was Ruby there?"

 _Obviously Dean would ask about the international top model!_ Castiel made an effort not to reply sourly:

"Not only did she attend as she was honored with the title of Queen. She looks even more beautiful than she was as a kid. And she's humbler and kinder than I ever thought she was."

"Sammy will regret it even more than he already regrets it..." Dean laughed softly.

"Sammy?"

"My brother. Ruby was crazy about him, but he thought she was too old for him... "

"Ruby was snubbed by your brother? Wow! He was a complete idiot, wasn’t he?" Castiel smiled, shaking his head.

"I always say that to him. But now I have evidence!" Dean laughed.

After a few seconds he asked:

"And who was crowned the King, since I wasn’t there to receive the honor?"

Castiel didn’t know how he would answer that question. He remained silent.

"So, who was the lucky guy chosen to dance with Ruby, Castiel?"

"It was me, Dean. _I_ danced with Ruby" he finally said, his voice faltering a little, as if it were presumption to say it like this, even if it was true.

Dean smiled.

"The perfect choice. Adler chose the most successful among us. Congratulations, Cas. "

_Cas! That simple syllable was the last straw. Could a person fall in love again in such a short period of time? Castiel was doomed!_

_No, there was still a chance. He could walk away now before Dean could tell him things that would make Castiel want him even more… Or maybe Dean would finally tell something that made Castiel despise him. Yeah, maybe Dean might have become a despicable person and he could hate him instead..._

"Thank you, Dean." He replied, already thinking about putting his little plan in action: "And how about you? What have you done these last few years? "

"Nothing as grand as becoming a famous writer, I can assure you," he said modestly. "After I went to live with my uncle in Sioux Falls, I tried a lot of different things. I worked with him in the workshop, waited tables, washed dishes... until I noticed that I missed school. I went to college and graduated. I'm a Phys Ed teacher. I work in a public school just like Eric Kripke High."

_That was bad. Too bad. Dean was a teacher. This wasn't despicable at all. But Castiel could dig deeper._

"I see you haven’t completely walked away from sports, then?" Taking a breath, he asked at point blank: "And how about family? Besides Sammy and your uncle, I mean... "

_Dean would talk about his wife and their five beautiful children and Castiel would feel better after that._

"After the fiasco that was my marriage to Lisa, I didn’t have anything serious with any woman. It was very painful, you know? When I heard that... I think you may have heard the gossip... Ben isn’t my son... it was like the end of the world for me..." Dean looked slightly embarrassed but still continued with the confession: "In my heart, he is my son. I've always loved and still love that boy. "

Castiel couldn’t remain indifferent to that, however how much he wished it:

"Do they still live here, Dean? Lisa and Ben? "

"Yes, she got married again. To Ben's real father, from what I heard. I was thinking about going to see him, now that I'm here. What do you think?"

The writer was taken by surprise by the question, but decided to answer honestly:

"If you love him... I think you should do it."

"Thank you, Cas. I'll call Lisa tomorrow and ask if I can meet him. We talk on the phone once in a while. I always send presents on his birthday and Christmas. It's a way to feel part of his life."

Castiel, the decision to stop loving Dean finally set aside, wanted only to allow the emotion to surface. But he couldn’t demonstrate how moved he was by his classmate's story and his frankness in telling it. He kept quiet for a second, feeling the impact of it all.

"What about you, Cas? Is anyone waiting for you in Boston ?"

The answer came quick, before Castiel could think:

"No, Dean. I live alone. Well, me and my cat. "

"Cat? I thought you were going to tell me that you have a husband anxiously awaiting your return... "

_Dean had read his books! He had also read his biography on the back cover._

 

 _'James Milton lives in Boston with his life partner.'_  

 

A photo of him and that phrase were in one of his earliest books, when Castiel still lived with Balthazar. Dean had no way of knowing that it was over.

Dean had been honest and he deserved the same sincerity:

"No, Dean. Balthazar and I broke up four years ago. I've been living alone ever since. "

"I'm sorry."

"Don’t be. We were not happy anymore. It was over and we were mature enough to get out of the relationship before it became hell."

Dean looked at him and a new expression appeared in his eyes. Not of compassion or anything like that. _Dean understood_. He knew what it was like to deal with the end of an important relationship. He just shook his head, nodding in agreement.

A silence that might be embarrassing, but it was not, settled between them. It was kind of comforting. They sat there, absorbing the impact of the shared stories and the atmosphere of that old place.

After a few moments, Castiel tried to suppress a yawn. He hadn’t slept the night before, afraid of meeting the exact same person who had opened himself so honestly at that bar table.

Dean realized and hurried to say,

"Look at the time. You must be exhausted... Being a King is a tiresome assignment, I know... "

Castiel could only laugh, enchanted with the simple and gentle man sitting in front of him.

"If anyone knows that, it's you, isn’t it?" He said, remembering that Dean and Cassie had been the King and Queen of their prom.

"Don’t make me remember that..." He said, chuckling. "Well, let's pay the bill and I'll take you home."

"There’s no need, Dean... It's only a few blocks away. You also must be tired after the long drive."

"No problem. I will be very happy if Your Majesty gives me the honor of letting me drive you in my humble carriage. "

"A humble and beautiful carriage, you mean ..."

Dean laughed and tiny wrinkles formed around his eyes. They hadn’t been there before. But they gave Dean an air of maturity that Castiel enjoyed more than the youthful perfection he had known twenty years before.

***

"Well, we're here. Let me get the red carpet I keep back there for these occasions..."

Castiel didn’t want to believe that the night was over and with it all those exciting moments, lived not with an illusion of the past, but with a real person who he had finally had a chance to meet.

Lowering his eyes to his hands, Castiel sighed,

“Thank you so much, Dean. But not for Gordon or for the ride." He inhaled deeply before saying, "For talking to me and for letting me know you a bit."

Even in the semi-darkness Castiel could see that Dean blushed slightly. He was embarrassed. _Castiel had gone too far._

"Sorry if I said anything..." He whispered awkwardly. Then he concluded, in a way he thought might be lighter: "I'm going to tell Gabriel that this time I've been brought home by his former drinking partner. Goodbye, Dean. I hope we can meet again someday. "

Dean didn’t answer, but his hand held Cas' hand on the knob.

"Cas, don’t... wait..."

Castiel's blue eyes rested on their joined hands. For an instant he allowed himself to feel the warmth emanating from Dean, but before he could do anything, his hand had moved away.

It moved over Dean's lips in a nervous gesture.

"Cas, I need to tell you something else. If you wait just a minute I'll... "

"Sure, Dean. All the time you need "Castiel said in one breath, anxious, waiting for the next confidence.

"You know, I really wanted to attend the reunion... I tried to leave Sioux Falls on time but a lot of things got in my way... I needed to be on time. I just needed to be here today. "

Sensing that other personal revelations would actually be made, Castiel didn’t ask anything, just let Dean speak.

"When I realized it was too late and I wouldn’t make it in time, I almost turned around and went home. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t go back. _I had to be here tonight_. "

Dean had wanted something very much and it hadn’t happened because of the delay. Castiel felt sad. Maybe he just wanted to meet some old girlfriend or talk to one of his old friends.

"A friend called me to tell that a person I had a crush in the past would be here today and I shouldn’t miss the opportunity to meet them. I _had_ to come, right?"

"Of course! But if the person is here in Lawrence maybe there's still time..." Castiel listened himself saying, wishing Dean could have another chance to be happy with the person he'd come to meet, whoever it may be.

Dean was quiet after that. He blinked and looked out at the dark house beyond the curb.

Castiel waited for him to continue, but Dean remained silent, as if waiting for the person to materialize there so he could finally talk to them.

When he finally spoke again, his voice was a little unstable:

"The thing is, Cas ... Despite the delay and the missed reunion... I managed to meet that person."

_Castiel was confused. Had he met the person? When? Before..._

_Oh! He had met the person he had so desperately wanted to meet..._

Castiel’s eyes slowly turned to Dean...

_He shouldn’t dare to believe it. No, it was too much._

He then asked quietly,

"Who called you... and told you _the person_ would be here today?" Deep down, a flicker of hope still resisted, though.

"An old friend... his name is Gabriel."

***

Castiel couldn’t remember when they had started kissing, but he didn’t want it to end.

Hands at first insecure now slid down his body without fear, softly, the heat emanating from them sensual and comforting.

As they parted to breathe, their eyes met and similar smiles blossomed on their lips. It was like coming home after wandering for a long time.

Castiel touched Dean's face with reverence. He slid his fingers into Dean’s hair and pulled him for another kiss.

***

Outside, in Castiel's former home, a light went on.

Gabriel smiled as he looked out the window and saw the familiar car parked in front of the house.

_What would those two idiots do without him?_

Feeling finally an intruder in that delicate moment, he switched off the light and went back to bed, first grabbing a donut on the kitchen table.

Romantic stories with happy endings always made him crave something sweet.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for any inconsistencies regarding a High School Reunion. I could only rely on what I saw in movies or read in other stories. If you have any suggestions feel free to comment.


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